Dump-car.



No. 739,915. PATENTBD SEPT. 29, 1903.

. S. OTIS 6: G. B. MALTBY.

' v DUMP GAR APPLICATION FILED APR. s, 1903. no MODEL.

UNITED STATES.

Patented September 29, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE,

SPENCER OTIS AND GEORGE B. MALTBY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS TO NATIONAL COAL-DUMP CAR COMPANY, OF SOUTH DAKOTA, OF RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA, AND SOUTH DAKOTA.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DUMP-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 739,915, dated September 29, 1903.

Application filed April 3, 1903. Serial No. 151,001. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:.

Be it known that we, SPENCER OTIS and GEORGE E. MALTBY, citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dump- Cars, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates to thatclass of dumpcars known as drop-bottom dump-cars, and particularly-to the means for strength-J ening or stiffening the side boards thereof, so as to form plank girders to" withstand the stress andstrains incident to ordinary use, all of which will more fullyhereinafter appear.

The principalobject of the invention is to provide a simple, economical, and efficient dump-car with side-plank girder mechanism to withstand the stress and strains incident to the use of the car.

The invention consists principally in a dump-car in which there are combined a supporting frame portion provided with a plurality of needle-beams transversely arranged, side boards extending upwardly from such supporting frameportion and formed ofa plurality of planks longitudinally arranged, and metallic strap mechanism secured to such needle-beams and passed up and over a portion of such side-board mechanism to stiffen the same.

The invention consists, further and finally, in the features, combinations, and details of construction hereinafter described and claimed. 1

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevation showing a portion of the car as it appears when constructed in accordance with these improvements and taken on line 1 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 2, a side elevation of a portion of the car as it appears in Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a sectional plan View taken on line 3 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow, and Fig. 4 a perspective view of the pressedmetal washer arranged under the lower outer edgesof the needle'-beams.-

Intheart to which this invention relates it is well. known that dumping-cars provided with drop-bottoms are more or less weakened by making such bottom portions flexiblethat is, so that they-can be moved downwardly some means to compensate for this weakening and so stifien the structure of the car as to withstand the stress and strains incident to use. To this end this invention is primarily designed.

In illustrating and describing these improvements we have only illustrated and will here describe that which we'consider to be now, taken in connection with so-much as is old as will properly disclose the invention to not shown herein) and which is provided with l a plurality of needle-beams a,transverselydisposed. This supporting-framework is provided with a drop-bottom portion-formed of a plurality of doors 1), arranged to swing between each pair of needle-beams and drop down therebetween, so as to discharge a load. These swinging doors may be pivoted in any desired way to the supporting-framework of the car, and we therefore deem itunnecessary to show the specific means of pivoting herein,

for the reason that it forms no material part or portion of these improvements In this type of car it is Very desirable to dispense with the usual outer side sills, all of which facilitates the discharging of the load, or,'in other words, prevents its clogging and permit s of a freedom of movement to such swinging doors which could not otherwise be obtained. It is well known, however, that if these side sills be dispensed with and a dropbotto'm, as above described, provided the car will be materially weakened, in that it will not properly absorb and distribute the stress and strains incident to use. It therefore appears highly desirable to provide some means to compensate for the loss ofsuch side sills which will materially stifien the structure of the car. To provide thesemeans, side boards are provided, formed, preferably, of a plurality bf wooden planks longitudinally disposed, the lower pair of which are keyed together by means of the keys (1, which prevent any longitudinal sliding movement of such planks one on the other. The inner side of these side boards is provided with a housing e, in which a rock-shaftf, with its chain mechanism, may be protected from the wearing action of the freight carried within the car. The side boards are further provided with a plurality of side stakes g, secured to the inner side thereof and to the supporting-framework of the car, all of which materially helps to strengthen and stiffen the side boards.

To further and efficiently strengthen and stiffen the side boards, and particularly the lower part or portion thereof, so as as to form what might be termed side-plank girders, we provide a plurality of U-shaped strap portions formed, preferably, of metal links 72,

- bent into sucha manner as to be passed over the upperportion of the housing and the lower pair of planks with its ends extending out beyond the same, and flat metal bar portions 1', extending downwardly from each end of the links and provided with threaded portions at their lowerends, which threaded portions are passed through a pressed-metal washer j, arranged underneath the lower outer edges of the needle-Beams, so as to form a washer or washers therefor. By tightening the nuts on the lower ends of such straps the strap mechanisms are brought into rigid engagement with the side boards or a part thereof and effectively tie the lower pair of planks to the needle-beams, forming in connection therewith efficient strengthening side girders, all of which effectively strengthens the car, and thereby enables it to withstand the heavy stress and strains incident to the usage thereof.

We claim- 1. In a car of the class described, the combination of a supporting-frame portion provided with a plurality of beams transversely arranged, side girders comprising a plurality of planks arranged longitudinally of the car over the ends'of such transverse beams and extending upwardly therefrom, and metallic ,tallic strap mechanism secured to such transverse beams and passed upwardly and over the lower set of planks that form the side girder portions to stiffen the structure, substantially as described.

3. In a car of the class described, the combination of a supporting-framework provided with a plurality of needle-beams transversely arranged, side boards for the car extending upwardly from the supporting-frame and formed of a plurality of wooden planks 1onsubstantially as described.

4. In a car of the class described, the combination of asupporting-framework provided with a plurality of needle-beams transversely disposed, side boards for the car extending upwardly from the supporting framework and formed of a plurality of wooden planks longitudinally disposed, side stakes for the car secured to the side boards and to the supporting-framework, a housing arranged inside of the side boards, key mechanism engaging the lower pair of planks that form the side boards to prevent longitudinal movement of the same, a metal link arranged over the housing and the lower pair of planks, and strap mechanism engaging each end of such link and the metal beam to stiffen the structure, substantially as described.

5. 'In a car of the class described, the combination of asupporting-framework provided with a plurality of needle-beams transversely disposed, Sideboards for the car formed ofa plurality of wooden planks longitudinally disposed, a housing arranged inside of such side boards, key mechanism engaging the lower pair of wooden'planks which form a part of the side board to prevent longitudinal movement thereof, side stakes secured to the side boards of the car and the supportingframework, metal washers arranged under the lower outer edges of the needle-beams, a metal link arranged over the housing and the lower pair of planks of the side boards, metal straps secured to such links and to the metal washers on the lower outer edges of the neodle-beam to stiffen the structure, substantially as described.

SPENCER OTIS. GEORGE E. MALTBY.

Witnesses:

HARRY I. CRoMER, MAUDE DARNELL.

IIO 

